In this report, which forms part of the Cutting Edge Pack on gender and armed conflict, the impact of armed conflict on gender relations, and the distinct ways that both women and men are affected, is explored. It highlights the gender-specific disadvantages experienced by women and men that are denied by conventional interpretations of armed conflict and post-conflict reconstruction processes. Women experience significant disadvantage in the course of armed conflict, but it does not necessarily follow that men are always the perpetrators and therefore the winners, and women the losers. Armed conflict exacerbates the inequalities in gender relations that exist in the pre-conflict period. Interventions in conflict must take account of local contexts and of the diverse realities of women and men, who may simultaneously play the roles of activists and parents, soldiers and victims. Further recommendations are made including: improving the implementation of existing international laws; increasing funding to specialised services to help both male and female victims of violence; and involving women in decision-making processes. This pack is also available in French and Spanish.Document Size: 1,200KB